Class Skills: Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (any) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Use Magic Device (Cha)
Skills per level: 2 + Int Modifier (x4 for 1st)
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Skull Lords are proficient with quarterstaves, as well as light and medium armor, but not shields.
Triple Skulls (Ex): A skull lord has three heads, each of which specializes in a different field. Initially the skull lord does not have enough negative energy to power its compartmentalized mind, and so it takes longer to activate these abilities. As its power grows, however, it may take some actions simultaneously to others. At first level, using any skull's ability requires a standard action. At 6th this is quickened to a swift action. No matter the speed of a skull power, the skull lord may only use one of its skulls' abilities per turn.
Create Servitor (Su): While its creator skull is intact (see Skull Loss, below), a skull lord may animate one or more skeletal undead from corpses within 5 feet. Possible undead created include standard skeletons (which require only a single corpse), bonespurs, or serpentirs (each of which require six corpses to create). You may create advanced bonespurs or serpentirs with this ability, but for each additional hit die you must supply an additional component corpse. Undead created in this way are automatically under the skull lord's control. A first level skull lord may have a number of servitors that add up to a 1st level encounter. This limit increases as the skull lord gains levels, as noted on the table. Multiclass Skull Lords add half their levels in other classes to the CR limit for this ability.
Bone Beckon (Su): A skull lord can draw bone fragments out of the body of any creature within 30 feet that has a skeletal structure. The creature must succeed on a Will save or take 2d6 points of damage. Non-intelligent undead do not get a save. The skull lord can cause the shards to be instantly absorbed by one corporeal undead within 30 feet (including itself). The chosen undead heals 5 points of damage. Alternatively, the skull lord can hold the shards in the mouth of its spitting skull, for use by the Bone Shard ability in the next round(see below). The DC for the will save is equal to 10 + half the skull lord's class level + its charisma modifier.
Bone Staff (Su): A skull lord may sacrifice one of its servitors (i.e., an undead created by its Create Servitor ability) to fashion a Bone Staff for itself. The chosen undead within 30 feet is instantly destroyed, and the staff appears in the skull lord's hand. When wielded by a skull lord, this weapon is treated as if it was a natural weapon for the purposes of the Weapon Finesse feat, but is otherwise identical to a masterwork quarterstaff. If the bone staff is brought more than 30 feet away from the skull lord who made it, it shatters.
Bone Shard (Su): A skull lord of 3th level or higher with its spitting skull intact (see Skull Loss, below) may spit a shard of bone. This is a ranged attack with a 30-foot range increment that deals 1d6 piercing damage on hit. If the skull lord uses this ability on a target it used Bone Beckon on in the last round (and stored the shard for this purpose), the attack automatically hits.
Skull Loss (Ex): When a skull lord is reduced to two-thirds of its total hit points, its creator skull shatters. When reduced to one-third, its spitting skull shatters. Losing a skull denies the skull lord of one or more of its Triple Skull abilities, as noted above. If the Skull Lord is healed to exceed the above amounts, the corresponding skulls are repaired, and the abilities they govern return. If a skull lord would be decapitated by a vorpal weapon, the normal damage of the strike is ignored and the attack instead does damage equal to one-third of the skull lord's maximum hit points.
Necromantic Presence (Su): The skull lord provides itself and the undead it creates with turn resistance while its skulls are intact. A 3rd level skull lord grants +4 turn resistance (-2 for each head lost). This turn resistance stacks with any the undead in question may already have.
Cold Endowment (Ex and Su): At 5th level, a skull lord gains immunity to cold damage. In addition, any attacks that a skull lord makes with its bone staff or bone shards also deal 1d6 cold damage.
Create Spectral Rider (Su): An 8th level skull lord has learned the secret to creating a Spectral Rider. Once per month, during the new moon, a skull lord can animate the corpse of a medium-size humanoid in a twelve-hour ritual. The created Spectral Rider is loyal to the skull lord who created it, but is not controlled. A spectral rider in the service of a skull lord can advance via character class, gaining experience as if it were a cohort (replacing any cohort the skull lord would have gained from another source). A Spectral Rider has an ECL of 6 (before adding character class levels) for the purpose of determining cohort level. Replace the standard Spectral Rider's Desecration Aura and Magic Circle Against Good abilities with the following one:
Desecration Aura (Su): The greatest enemies of the Skull Lords will always be clerics. Their perfect guardians have the capacity to neutralize this threat. The area within 30 feet of a level 4 spectral rider is continuously Desecrated, as the spell. As a standard action, the spectral rider may designate a single holy or unholy symbol within this aura. Attended symbols are allowed a Will save to resist dissolving into a cloud of acidic gas, while unattended symbols are affected automatically. The save DC is equal to 13 + half character level + Charisma modifier. Those within 5 feet of a symbol when it dissolves take 1d6 acid damage.
Original Version:
[spoiler]
I've taken the liberty of including the effects of the spellstitched template within the class because, frankly, a Skull Lord isn't complete without it.
| | | Base | | | | | | Hit | Skill | Attack | Fort | Ref | Will | | | Level | Dice | Points | Bonus | Save | Save | Save | Special | | 1 | 1d12 | 4+Int Mod*4 | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Feat, Create Servitor (CR 1), Triple Skulls (Full-round), Bone Staff, Skull Loss | | 2 | 2d12 | 4+Int Mod | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Chill Touch 1/day, Bone Beckon 1/day, Dex +2 | | 3 | 2d12 | - | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Create Servitor (CR 2), Summon Undead I 3/day, Turn Resistance +2 | | 4 | 3d12 | 4+Int Mod | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Feat, Scare 1/day, Triple Skulls (Standard), Bone Shard | | 5 | 4d12 | 4+Int Mod | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Command Undead 3/day, Natural Armor 2 | | 6 | 4d12 | - | +2 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Create Servitor (CR 3), Masterwork Bone Staff | | 7 | 5d12 | 4+Int Mod | +2 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Speak With Dead 1/day, Bone Beckon 3/day, Cha +2 | | 8 | 6d12 | 4+Int Mod | +3 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Feat, Triple Skulls (Move), Necromantic Presence +2, Int +2 | | 9 | 6d12 | - | +3 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Create Servitor (CR 4), Cha +2, DR 5/bludgeoning | | 10 | 7d12 | 4+Int Mod | +3 | +3 | +3 | +6 | Animate Dead 1/day, Bone Beckon at will | | 11 | 8d12 | 4+Int Mod | +4 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Create Servitor (CR 5), Cold Immunity, Chill Shield 1/day, Wis +2 | | 12 | 8d12 | - | +4 | +4 | +4 | +8 | Create Spectral Rider, Undead Lieutenant 1/day, Cold Damage, Dex +2 | | 13 | 9d12 | 4+Int Mod | +4 | +4 | +4 | +8 | Feat, Create Servitor (CR 6), Triple Skulls (Swift), Necromantic Presence +4 | | 14 | 10d12 | 4+Int Mod | +5 | +5 | +5 | +9 | Dex +2, Cha +2 | | 15 | 10d12 | - | +5 | +5 | +5 | +9 | Create Servitor (CR 7), DR 10/+3 | | 16 | 11d12 | 4+Int Mod | +5 | +5 | +5 | +9 | Int +2, Wis +2 | | 17 | 12d12 | 4+Int Mod | +6 | +6 | +6 | +10 | Feat, Create Servitor (CR 8), Dex +2, Spell Resistance |
Class Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Hide, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (religion), Listen, Move Silently, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival, Use Magic Device
Skull Lord Base Racial Abilities:
Medium Size
30ft land speed
Undead Traits
Darkvision 60ft.
Class Features:
Sorted by ability similarities rather than by progression.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Skull Lords are proficient with quarterstaves, as well as light and medium armor, but not shields.
Triple Skulls (Ex): A skull lord has three heads, each of which specializes in a different field. Initially the skull lord does not have enough negative energy to power its compartmentalized mind, and so it takes longer to activate these abilities. As its power grows, however, it may take some actions simultaneously to others. At first level, using any skull's ability requires a full-round action. At 4th this is quickened to a standard action, then a move action at 8th, and finally a swift action at 13th. No matter the speed of a skull power, the skull lord may only use one of its skulls' abilities per turn.
Create Servitor (Su): While its creator skull is intact (see Skull Loss, below), a skull lord may animate one or more skeletal undead from corpses within 5 feet. Possible undead created include standard skeletons (which require only a single corpse), bonespurs, or serpentirs (each of which require six corpses to create). You may create advanced bonespurs or serpentirs with this ability, but for each additional hit die you must supply an additional component corpse. Undead created in this way are automatically under the skull lord's control. A first level skull lord may have a number of servitors that add up to a 1st level encounter. This limit increases as the skull lord gains levels, reaching a maximum of a CR 8 encounter at 17th level. Only undead created through the use of this ability are capable of being transformed into a Bone Staff (see below).
Bone Beckon (Su): A skull lord can draw bone fragments out of the body of any creature within 30 feet that has a skeletal structure. The creature must succeed on a DC (11 + the current maximum CR value of its create servitor ability) Will save or take 2d6 points of damage. Non-intelligent undead do not get a save. The skull lord can cause the shards to be instantly absorbed by one corporeal undead within 30 feet (including itself). The chosen undead heals 5 points of damage. Alternatively, the skull lord can hold the shards in the mouth of its spitting skull, for use by the Bone Shard ability in the next round(see below). This ability can be used once per day at 2nd level, three times per day at 7th, and at will from 10th level on. Because this ability is tied to the skull lord's beckoning skull, it is not subject to skull loss.
Bone Staff (Su): A skull lord may sacrifice one of its servitors (i.e., an undead created by its Create Servitor ability) to fashion a Bone Staff for itself. The chosen undead within 30 feet is instantly destroyed, and the staff appears in the skull lord's hand. When wielded by a skull lord, this weapon is treated as if it was a natural weapon for the purposes of the Weapon Finesse feat, but is otherwise identical to a quarterstaff. If the bone staff is brought more than 30 feet away from the skull lord who made it, it shatters. At 6th level, the bone lord is better able to fuse the bones into a consistent whole- any bone staff it creates is a masterwork quarterstaff. A skull lord may only have one bone staff in existance at any given time. Because this ability is tied to the skull lord's beckoning skull, it is not subject to skull loss.
Bone Shard (Su): A skull lord of 4th level or higher with its spitting skull intact (see Skull Loss, below) may spit a shard of bone. This is a ranged attack with a 30-foot range increment that deals 1d6 piercing damage on hit. If the skull lord uses this ability on a target it used Bone Beckon on in the last round (and stored the shard for this purpose), the attack automatically hits.
Skull Loss (Ex): When a skull lord is reduced to two-thirds of its total hit points, its creator skull shatters. When reduced to one-third, its spitting skull shatters. Losing a skull denies the skull lord of one or more of its Triple Skull abilities, as noted above. If the Skull Lord is healed to exceed the above amounts, the corresponding skulls are repaired, and the abilities they govern return. If a skull lord would be decapitated by a vorpal weapon, the normal damage of the strike is ignored and the attack instead does damage equal to one-third of the skull lord's maximum hit points.
Spell-like Abilities (Sp): A skull lord gains spell-like abilities as it levels up, usable a number of times per day as written on the table. Caster level is equal to the hit dice gained from the skull lord class, and the key ability is Charisma. A few special restrictions apply; the Fire Shield ability can only be cast as the Chill Shield version, while the Summon Undead/Animate Dead spells may only be used to produce skeletons.
Cold Immunity (Ex): At 11th level, a skull lord gains immunity to cold damage.
Cold Damage (Su): From 12th level on, any attacks that a skull lord makes with its bone staff or bone shards also deal 1d6 cold damage.
Create Spectral Rider (Su): A 12th level skull lord has learned the secret to creating a Spectral Rider. Once per month, during the new moon, a skull lord can animate the corpse of a humanoid who meets the prerequisites for the Spectral Rider Prestige class (see below). This requires a twelve-hour ritual. The created Spectral Rider is loyal to the skull lord who created it, but is not controlled. Treat the Spectral Rider as a cohort (the Spectral Rider replaces any cohort that would be gained from a leadership feat). If the spectral rider dies or is dismissed by the skull lord, the skull lord must attempt a DC 15 Fortitude saving throw. Failure means it loses 200 experience points per skull lord level; success reduces the loss to one-half that amount. However, a skull lord’s experience point total can never go below 0 as the result of a spectral rider’s demise or dismissal.
A Spectral Rider has an ECL of 11 when first created. The creature being raised must be below this amount, and it immediately gains levels in the Spectral Rider prestige class until its ECL is 11. The Spectral Rider's ECL may never be more than the Skull lord's ECL-1.
Turn Resistance: At 3rd level, a skull lord gains +2 turn resistance.
Necromantic Presence (Su): The skull lord provides itself and the undead it creates with turn resistance while its skulls are intact. An 8th level skull lord grants +2 turn resistance (-1 for each head lost), while a 13th level skull lord provides +4 (-2 for each destroyed head) instead. This turn resistance stacks with any the undead in question may already have.
Natural Armor: A 5th level Skull Lord infuses its body with negative energy, strengthening it. It gains a natural armor bonus of 2.
Damage Reduction: At 9th level, a skull lord gains damage reduction 5/bludgeoning. At 15th level, it gains damage reduction 10/+3. Damage reduction does not stack- apply only the highest appropriate value to each attack.
Spell Resistance: At 17th level, a skull lord gains Spell Resistance equal to 15 plus its charisma modifier.
Special: The skull lord may take the Practiced Spellcaster feat and designate this class as its target. Doing so allows up to four levels in other classes to apply to the caster level of the skull lord's spell-like abilities, and if all four caster level increases are applied, the maximum CR of the Create Servitor ability is increased by one.
.....
The Create Spectral Rider ability had a lot of limitations for little return, so I am reworking it. Instead of by-the-book with a terrible LA, Spectral Rider is now a prestige class.
Spectral Rider (Hit Die d12)
Entry Requirements:
Size: Medium
Feat: Mounted Combat
Skills: Ride 9 ranks
Special: Must be raised from the dead by a Skull Lord with the Create Spectral Rider ability.
| Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | | 1 | +0 | +0 | +0 | +0 | Undead Type, Phantom Steed | | 2 | +1 | +0 | +0 | +0 | Shroud of Living Days, Cha +2 | | 3 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | Cold Immunity, DR 10/bludgeoning, Str +2 | | 4 | +2 | +1 | +1 | +1 | Desecration Aura, Cha +2 | | 5 | +2 | +1 | +1 | +1 | Ghost Shift, Defiling Touch, Str +2 |
Skills: 4+Int modifier
Class Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Intimidate, Listen, Ride, Spot
Class Features:
Phantom Steed (Su): A spectral rider learns how to summon the spirits of riding animals and give them substance. As a swift action, the spectral rider may create a partially real mount as the phantom steed spell, either for itself or another. Caster level is equal to class level plus half the levels of all the character's other classes.
Shroud of Living Days (Su): Sometimes, a Skull Lord requires a servant who can pass undetected through the settlements of the living. Spectral riders meet this demand with uncanny capacity. At will, a 2nd level spectral rider can appear as it did in life. Only True Seeing will reveal its true form.
Desecration Aura (Su): The greatest enemies of the Skull Lords will always be clerics. Their perfect guardians have the capacity to neutralize this threat. The area within 30 feet of a level 4 spectral rider is continuously Desecrated, as the spell. As a standard action, the spectral rider may designate a single holy or unholy symbol within this aura. Attended symbols are allowed a Will save to resist dissolving into a cloud of acidic gas, while unattended symbols are affected automatically. The save DC is equal to 10 plus class level plus Charisma modifier. Those within 5 feet of a symbol when it dissolves take 1d6 acid damage.
Ghost Shift (Su): A 5th level spectral rider and its equipment can become incorporeal as an immediate action whenever it moves. It becomes corporeal again at the end of its move. When incorporeal, the spectral rider gains a deflection bonus to AC equal to its Charisma modifier, but doesn't lose its armor bonus. If a spectral rider uses this ability while riding a phantom steed, the steed becomes incorporeal as well.
Defiling Touch (Su): A spectral rider of 5th level who hits with a melee touch attack deals damage equal to 1d6 + its Charisma modifier. This ability functions against both corporeal and incorporeal targets at all times.
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Notes/observations regarding the class:
On the original monster, the Create Servitor ability was tied to the Skull Lord's own challenge rating. Splitting it up as I did approximates the progression of alternate druid animal companions (assuming you spend all the CR on one servitor).
Keep in mind that the Skull Lord has no slam attack. If you lose your weapon and don't have any material for a new one, you've only got unarmed strikes and Chill Touch to fall back on for melee.
If you keep the Skull Lords as part of a close-knit organization, the Summon Undead spell-like ability becomes more flavorful; you're borrowing minions from another Skull Lord!
If you sink 8 ranks into each of Hide and Move Silently, you can take up the Lurking Terror (LM) prestige class. Three levels long, and it'll boost the save DC of Bone Beckon at every level, along with other nice things. Rounds out quite nicely.
The standard set of feats for a Skull Lord is as follows: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Finesse, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (Bone Staff)
[/spoiler] |
